Lost motion mechanism for coin-operated timer run time accumulator

ABSTRACT

THE INITIAL OUTWARD RECIPROCATION OF THE SLIDE FROM THE FULLY INWARD POSITION. A LOST MOTION MECHANISM IS PROVIDED FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A TIME ACCUMULATING MEANS ADAPTED TO ACCUMULATE TIMER RUN TIME ON A TIMER MECHANISM IN RESPONSE TO AN OUTWARD RECIPROCATION OF THE SLIDE OF A COINRECEIVING MECHANISM FROM A FULLY INWARD POSITION. THE LOST MOTION MECHANISM IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SLIDE TO DELAY THE OPERATION OF THE TIME ACCUMULATING MEANS DURING

R. D. HARRIS. SR LOST MOTION MECHANISM FOR com Sept. 20, 1571 3,605,509

-OPERATED TIMER RUN TIME ACCUMULATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1, 1969INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HARRS, SR.

H \s ATTORNEY N\\\\\NI p 1 R. o. HARRIS. sR 3,605,509

LOST MOTION MECHANISM FOR COIN'OPERATED TIMER RUN TIME ACCUMULATOR FiledMay 1, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HARRlS SR.

BY as ATTORNEY P 20, 1971 R. o. HARRIS. 5R 3,605,509

LOST MOTION MECHANISM FOR COIN-OPERATED TIMER RUN TIME ACCUMULATOR FiledMay 1 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fur! INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HARRJS ,SR.

BYE

Hi5 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,605,509 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 US.Cl. 74-130 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lost motion mechanismis provided for use in conjunction with a time accumulating meansadapted to accumulate timer run time on a timer mechanism in response toan outward reciprocation of the slide of a coinreceiving mechanism froma fully inward position. The lost motion mechanism is associatedwith theslide to delay the operation of the time accumulating means during theinitial outward reciprocation of the slide from the fully inwardposition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to coinoperated timers such as may be used to control laundry machines, andmore specifically, to a lost-motion mechanism for an improved coinoperated time accumulator particularly adapted for use on automaticclothes dryers.

In US. patent application Ser. No. 820,771, filed concurrently herewithby Clarence A. Zinninger and assigned to the assignee of the instantinvention, means are described and claimed for accumulating timer runtime by the sequential introduction of a series of coins in a coinreceiving mechanism. The coin receiving mechanism employed by Zinningeris of a type commonly available, the structure and operation of which iswell known to those skilled in the art. Such coin receiving mechanismscommonly incorporate an inwardly and outwardly reciprocable slide biasedtoward the outward position, and have various assemblies adapted toreceive, evaluate and collect coins and to restrict the reciprocation ofthe slide in the event of inadequate or improper coinage deposit.Ineluded within the group of such assemblies is a movement restrictingmeans operable after an initial amount of outward reciprocation of theslide from the fully inward position to prevent subsequent inwardreciprocation of the slide. A problem arises in conjunction with a timeaccumulating means such as disclosed by Zinninger when employed inconjunction with such commonly available coin receiving mechanisms inthat an unscrupulous operator may accumulate unauthorized timer run timeby repeatedly reciprocating or ratcheting the slide inwardly andoutwardly in small increments when the slide is near its fully inwardposition.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a meansfor preventing the unauthorized accumulation of timer run time on coinoperated timer mechanisms.

It is a further object to provide such a means which is adapted to delaythe operation of a time accumulating means during the initial outwardreciprocation of the slide of a coin receiving mechanism until amovement restricting means becomes operable to prevent the subsequentinward reciprocation of the slide.

It is still a further object to provide such a means in the form of asimple and inexpensive lost motion mechanism associated with the slideof the coin receiving means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspectof the present invention, there is provided in a time accumulating meansadapted to accumulate timer run time on a timer mechanism in response toan outward reciprocation of the slide of a coin receiving mechanism froma fully inward position, the improvement of a lost motion mechanismassociated with the slide to delay the operation of the timeaccumulating means during the initial outward reciprocation of the slidefrom the fully inward position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes withclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subjectmatter which is regarded as the invention, it is believed the inventionwill be better understood from the following description of thepreferred embodiments taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes dryer incorporating myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view partly in section illustrating various details ofone embodiment of my invention With the slide of the coin receivingmechanism extended fully outwardly;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the slide of the coin receivingmechanism extended fully inwardly;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the slide of the coin receivingmechanism shown during the initial outward reciprocation from the fullyinward position;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of my invention in the position of FIG. 4;and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternativeembodiment of my device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, there is illustrated an automaticclothes dryer 10 having a suitable appearance and protective outercabinet 11 with a service access door 12 pivotally mounted thereon forproviding entry to the interior of the cabinet. The cabinet 11 alsosupports a coin operated mechanism 13 adapted to initiate and controlthe operation of the dryer 10 in response to the selection of a dryingcycle by means of control buttons 14 and the introduction of appropriatecoinage through a coin receiving mechanism 15.

In FIG. 2 it may be seen that coin operated mechanism 13 comprises arigid housing 16 having a coin receiving mechanism 15 secured to an endwall thereof by means of suitable fasteners 17. The details of coinreceiving mechanism 15 do not form a part of the instant invention, andare well known in the art. In brief, such mechanism comprises a slide 18reciprocally mounted in a slide housing 19, the slide 18 having anoutward end 20 adapted to be moved manually by an operator and an inwardend 21 adapted for mounting appropriate operational mechanism thereon. Aspring 22 operates between slide 18 and slide housing 19 to bias slide18 outwardly. Included in the coin receiving mechanism 15 are variousassemblies (not shown) adapted to receive, evaluate and collect coins,and to restrict the reciprocation of slide 18 in the event of inadequateor improper coinage deposit.

A timer mechanism 23 is supported by the rigid housing 16 and has asetting shaft 24 extending outwardly therefrom. Included 'Within timermechanism. are a series of cam operated switches provided to control theprogram of dryer '10. The timer mechanism 23 is so internally wired thatwhen setting shaft 24 reaches a particular angular position, power tothe motor of the timer mechanism is interrupted. To restart the timermechanism, it is necessary to advance the timer setting shaft in thedirection of arrow 25. Such rotation of setting shaft 24 in thedirection of arrow 25 causes an accumulation of timer run timeproportional to the amount of rotation of the setting shaft. When thedesired amount of timer run time has been set by rotating setting shaft24 in the direction of arrow 25, the motor of the timer mechanism willcause a return rotation of the setting shaft in the direction oppositearrow 25 until the shaft 24 reaches the annular position wherein thetimer mechanism motor power is internally interrupted.

In accordance with the aforementioned Zinninger application Ser. No.820,771, means are provided for accumulating timer run time by rotatingtimer setting shaft 24 in the direction of arrow 25 in response to theintroduction of proper coinage into coin receiving mechanism 15. It is afeature of the Zinninger invention that the time accumulation meansprovided is operative to rotate shaft 24 in the direction of arrow 25 apredetermined amount for each introduction of proper coinage, despitethe fact that shaft 24 may already be rotated to a position wherein asmall amount of timer run time is already accumulated. Stated in otherterms, with the Zinninger mechanism. the introduction of coinage toaccumulate timer run time will cause no loss of timer run time which hasbeen previously accumulated by the deposit of prior coinage. Of courseit is to be understood that timer mechanisms such as the one employedherein operate within certain limits of time accumulation capability,and that when the timer setting shaft has been rotated 21 full 360",this may result a return of the timer to the zero time. However, suchlimits of time accumulation are normally suificiently large to precludea 360 rotation of the timer setting shaft in everyday operation.

As taught by Zinninger, a gear rack 26 is secured to slide 18 forreciprocation therewith, and a gear 27 is rotatably positioned to engagethe gear rack 26. Gear 27 is selectively coupled to timer setting shaft24 by a unidirectional clutch, generally indicated by the numeral 28. Itis the function of uni-directional clutch 28 to couple setting shaft 24to gear 27 for rotation therewith only when gear 27 is rotated in thedirection of arrow 25. By this arrangement, when slide 18 and gear rack26 are reciprocated inwardly, gear rack 26 will cause rotation of gear27, but clutch 28 will assure no reverse rotation of timer setting shaft24 and hence no loss of timer run time accumulated thereon. When,however, slide 18 is moved fully outwardly from a fully inward position,gear rack 26 will cause a predetermined rotation of gear 27 in thedirection of arrow 25, and hence the addition or accumulation of apredetermined amount of timer run time.

As further taught by Zinninger, it has been found to be more desirableto rotate timer setting shaft 24 for accumulation of timer run timethereon during the outward reciprocation of slide 18, than during theinward reciprocation of the slide, as a greater degree of ac curacy intime accumulation is achieved. Such a greater degree of accuracy isachieved because, by initiating the rotation of setting shaft 24 withgear rack 26 and slide 18 in the fully inward position, gear rack 26 andgear 27 are meshed, and rotation of shaft 24 continues until gear rack26 and gear 27 become disengaged. This is to be compared with the lessaccurate alternative of initiating rotation of shaft 24 on the inwardstroke of slide 18 at such time as gear rack 26 and gear 27 becomemeshed; with this alternative, no initial meshing relationshipnecessarily exists between gear rack 26 and gear 27, and the initiationof rotation of shaft 24 may occur earlier or later than is required foran accurate accumulation of timer run time.

It is to be understood that the aforedescribed time accumulating meansis described in detail and claimed in the Zinninger application andforms no part of my invention.

In accordance with my invention, gear rack 26 is supported from slideend 21 by means of a lost motion mechanism 29. It is the function oflost motion mechanism 29 to delay the rotation of gear 27 in thedirection of arrow 25 during the initial outward reciprocation of slide18 from the fully inward position of the slide. It is desirable to delaythe rotation of gear 27 during the initial outward movement of slide 18from the fully inward position to prevent the unauthorized accumulationof timer run motion by an unscrupulous operator. Without the lost timemechanism 29, it is possible for an operator to accumulate unauthorizedtimer run time by repeatedly reciprocating or racheting slide 18inwardly and outwardly in small increments when slide 18 is near itsfully inward position. By incorporating lost motion mechanism 29,rachetiug of slide 18 near its innermost position will not function toprogressively advance timer setting shaft 24 in the direction of arrow25; rather, gear rack 26 will not reciprocate outwardly until such timeas a movement restricting means included within the coin receivingmechanism becomes operable to prevent subsequent inward reciprocation ofthe slide.

In order to better understand the function and operation of my device,it is necessary to examine in somewhat greater detail the constructionand operation of coin receiving mechanism 15. As shown best in FIG. 4,incorporated within the coin receiving mechanism in a ratchet and pawlarrangement 30 comprising a ratchet 31 formed along one edge of slide'18 and a pawl 32 pivotally mounted from slide housing 19 by a pin 33. Aspring 34 biases pawl 32 such that when pawl 32 is rotated eitherclockwise or counterclockwise it tends to return to the position of-FIG. 4. Also formed on slide 18 are two pawl reversal cut-outs 35 and36. It will be seen that ratchet 31 extends from cut-out 35 only part ofthe way toward cut-out 36, the remaining distance comprising a smoothsurface 37.

With slide 18 in the fully outward position of FIG. 2, it may be seenthat pawl 32 extends into cut-out 36. When slide 18 is reciprocatedinwardly from the position of FIG. 2, smooth surface 37 will force pawl32 to rotate counterclockwise a small amount. As the slide 18 progressesinwardly, ratchet 31 comes. into engagement with pawl 32 whereuponoutward reciprocation of slide 18 is prohibited. When slide 18 reachesthe fully inward position of FIG. 4, pawl 32 disengages ratchet 31 andenters cut-out 35. With this arrangement, slide 18 may now bereciprocated outwardly.

During the initial outward reciprocation of slide 18 from the fullyinward position of FIG. 4, pawl 32 rotates clockwise as shown in FIG. 5,but does not yet engage ratchet 31. It is during this initial outwardreciprocation of slide 18 that the slide may be repeatedly reciprocatedor ratcheted inwardly and outwardly. When, however, the slide 18 movesoutwardly a suflicient amount for pawl 32 to engage ratchet 31, thesubsequent inward movement of slide 18 is prevented. Spring 22 isoperative during the final outward movement of slide 18 to return theslide to the position of FIG. 2.

It is the purpose of my invention to prevent the unauthorizedaccumulation of timer run time during the abovementioned period ofinitial outward reciprocation of slide 18 from the fully inwardposition. Turning now to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 2, it may beseen that in one embodiment of my device, lost motion mechanism-29comprises a member 38 carrying gear rack 26. Member 38 has grooves 39formed longitudinally along each of two opposite sides for cooperationwith arms 40 formed integrally with a mounting bracket 41. Mountingbracket 41 is secured to slide end 21 by means of fastener 42 forreciprocation with slide 18. By the arrangement of arms 40 incooperation with grooves 39, member 38 is adapted to reciprocaterelative to slide 18 on a path parallel to the path of reciprocation ofslide 18 from a first position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to a secondposition shown in FIG. 5.

A biasing means in the form of spring 43 mounted co axially on afollower 44 is operative to bias member 38 to the first position of FIG.2. It will be seen that follower 44 has a flange 45 of enlarged diameterformed thereon having one surface adapted to engage spring 43 and theother surface adapted to engage a stop 46 formed integral with mountingbracket 41. Follower 44 is secured to member 38 by means of a threadedconnection 47 and extends through a slot 48 formed in vertical surface49 of mounting bracket 41 and thence through an aperture 50 formed instop 46. A bushing 51 is coaxially mounted on follower 44 forreciprocation relative thereto and has a flanged end 52 adapted toengage on one side of the vertical surface 49 and on the other side toengage an end of spring 43. The other end of bushing 51 comprises a flatannular surface 53 adapted to engage flange 45 when member 38 moves tothe position of FIG. 5.

By this arrangement of spring 43, follower 44, flange 45, stop 46,vertical surface 49 and bushing 51, a range of reciprocation is definedfor member 38 relative to slide 18, limited in the first position by theengagement of flange 45 with stop 46, and in the second position by theengagement of flange 45 with flat annular surface 53 of bushing 51.Furthermore, by means of the threaded connection 47 between follower 44and member 38, means are provided for adjusting the position of gearrack 26 relative to slide 18. As explained in the aforementionedZinninger application, by adjusting the position of gear rack 26relative to slide 18, the length of engagement of the gear rack 26 withgear 27, and hence the amount of timer run time accumulated per coinagedeposit is selectively adjustable.

Whereas the Zinninger device provides a means of adjusting gear rack 26relative to slide 18 in selective increments, by adjusting meansprovides, over a limited range, an infinitely adjustable means ofpositioning gear rack 26 relative to slide 18. To facilitate suchadjustment through threaded connection 47, a hex or other readilyengagable surface may be formed on follower end 54 to facilitaterotation of the follower 44. As may be best seen in FIG. 6, member 38has a plurality of upstanding ribs '55, 56, 57, 58 and 59 formed on thetop surface thereof in a direction perpendicular to the path ofreciprocation of the slide 18. It is the function of these ribs toprovide an indication of the position of member 38 relative to slide 18and to gear 27 as is determined by the adjustment of threaded connection47. In FIG. 6, slide 18 is in its fully inward position and member 38 ispositioned relative thereto so as to align rib 55 with edge 60 of timermechanism support bracket 61. Alignment of rib 55 with edge 60 whenslide 18 is fully inward indicates that during the outward travel ofslide 18, twenty minutes of timer run time will be accumulated on thetimer mechanism. Similarly, alignment of rib 56, 57 or 58 with edge 60when slide 18 is fully inward will result in the accumulation of thirty,forty, fifty or sixty minutes of timer run time, repsectively, duringthe outward movement of the slide '18. Such means of indicating theposition of member 38 as determined by the adjustment of threadedconnection 47 eliminates the error which would otherwise be caused bythe variation in manufactured length of the coin receiving mechanism 15or housing 16, and provides a simple means of adjusting the amount oftimer run time to be accumulated per coinage deposit.

In operation, after the operator has made the desired cycle selection bymeans of control buttons 14 and has placed the proper coinage into thecoin receiving mechaism 1'5, slide 18 may be reciprocated inwardly fromthe position of FIGS. 2 and 3 to the position of FIG. 4. During suchinward reciprocation, gear rack 26 engages gear 27 rotating it in thedirection opposite arrow 25. During such rotation, uni-directionalclutch 28 transmits no motion to the timer setting shaft 24. Subsequentoutward reciprocation of slide 18 will cause no motion of member 38which remains in the fully inward position until such time as flange 45engages the fiat annular surface 53 of bushing 51, whereupon gear rack26 and member 38 will move outwardly with slide 18 causing rotation ofgear 27. When gear rack 26 has moved outwardly sufii- 6 ciently' todisengage gear 27, spring 43 re-extends, snapping member 38 forwarduntil such time as flange 45 engages stop '46.

An alternate embodiment of my design is shown in FIG. 7 wherein gearrack 26 is shown formed integrally with a lower member 62 adapted forreciprocation relative to slide end 21. An upper member 63 is adapted tocooperate with lower member 62 to form a housing assembly for capturinga projection 64 on first mounting bracket 65. First mounting bracket 65is secured to a second mounting bracket 66 by means of fasteners 67, andsecond mounting bracket 66 is, in turn, secured to slide end 21 by meansof fasteners 68. A stop 69 is secured to one end of first mountingbracket 65, and is adapted to engage end 70 of upper member 63.Projection 64 has a tab 71 formed on the lower surface thereof forengaging a compression spring (not shown) which operates between tab 71and surface 72 within lower member 62. By this arrangement of lowermember 62, upper member 63, projection 64, stop 69, and the springoperating between tab 71 and surface 72, a range of reciprocation isestablished by gear rack 26 limited in the first position by theengagement of end 70 stop with stop 69, and in the second position bythe engagement of surfaces 73 on projection 64 with surfaces 74 formedwithin lower member 62. Furthermore, the spring operative between tabs71 and surface 72 serves to bias gear rack 26 toward the first positionwherein surface 70 engages stop 69. It will be understood that theoperation of this embodiment of my invention is substantially similar tothat of the aforedescribed embodiment, differing therefrom primarily inthe positioning and arrangement of the biasing and stop means whichdefine the range of reciprocation of gear rack 26 relative to the slide18 and which cause the biasing of gear rack 26 toward the firstposition.

As was previously mentioned, my device is particularly adapted for usein automatic clothes dryers wherein it is desirable to enable theaccumulation of timer operating time through the sequential deposit of aseries of coins while yet preventing the unauthorized accumulation ofsuch timer run time. From the foregoing description it should now beapparent that the present invention, by providing a lost motionmechanism operable during the initial outward reciprocation of the slideof the coin receiving mechanism from a fully inward position, preventssuch unauthorized accumulation of timer run time until such time as amovement restricting means included within the coin receiving mechanismbecomes operable to prevent the subsequent inward reciprocation of theslide.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects ofthe invention are not limited to the particular details of constructionof the examples illustrated, and it is contemplated that othermodifications, applications or variations will occur to those skilled inthe art. It is therefore intended to cover such modifications,applications and variations as do not depart from the true spirit andscope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a time accumulating means adapted to accumulate timer run time ona timer mechanism in response to an outward reciprocation of the slideof a coin receiving mechanism from a fully inward position, wherein thecoin receiving mechanism includes movement restricting means operableafter an initial amount of outward reciprocation of the slide from thefully inward position to prevent subsequent inward reciprocation of theslide, the improvement comprising a lost motion mechanism associatedwith the slide to delay the operation of the time accumulating meansduring the initial outward reciprocation of the slide until the movementrestricting means becomes operable to prevent subsequent inwardreciprocation of the slide and wherein the time accumulating meansrotates the setting shaft of said timer mechanism unidirectionally inresponse to an inward and outward reciprocation of the slide andcomprises the elements of a gear rack associated with the slide forreciprocation therewith, a gear rotatably positioned to engage the gearrack during at least a portion of the outward reciprocation, and aunidirectional clutch connecting the gear and the setting shaft; andwherein the lost-motion mechanism delays the rotation of the gear duringthe initial outward reciprocation of the slide.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said lost motion mechanismcomprises:

a member carrying the gear rack which reciprocates relative to the slideon a path parallel to the path of reciprocation of the slide from afirst position to a second position;

biasing means operative to bias said member to the first position.

3. The invention of claim 2 additionally including a stop carried by theslide, said biasing means being operative to bias said member to aposition engaging said stop.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said biasing means is housed withinsaid member and said stop is arranged to engage an exterior surface ofsaid member.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said member includes a follower rodmovable therewith, and said biasing means operates on said follower rodto bias said follower rod to a position engaging said stop.

6. The invention of claim 5 additionally including a threaded connectionbetween said follower rod and said member whereby the length of saidfollower which extends from said member, and hence the length of thegear rack 8 which engages the gear during outward reciprocation of theslide may be selectively adjusted.

7. The invention of claim 6 additionally including a plurality ofindices formed on said member for adjusting said threaded connection toobtain a desired accumulation of timer run time per proper coinagedeposit Within the coin receiving mechanism.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,427,739 9/1947 Farny 194--923,106,278 10/1963 Hall 19492 1,854,185 4/1932 Galland.

3,046,803 7/1962 Bowman.

3,237,466 3/1966 Furtilo.

3,056,307 10/1962 Bowman 74-104 3,237,466 3/1966 Furtilo 74l28 2,212,7148/ 1940 Leggett.

2,260,745 10/1941 Grunig.

2,902,889 9/1959 Trechsel.

2,926,533 3/1960 Markoski.

2,860,052 11/ 1958 Howlett.

3,186,245 6/1965 Bowman et a].

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner W. S. RATLIFF, 1a., Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. l9492

